Mountain Ladies Slippers

Our land based Bella Coola Wilderness Adventures is ideally located just minutes from the airport on Highway 20 and is accessible by BC Ferries as well.

We offer natural wildlife viewing tours and hiking adventures throughout the Bella Coola Valley and Beyond. We are very fortunate to have four natural hotsprings in the area producing odorless mineral water at ideal hotsprings temperatures. Our world renowned Glacial Facial Clay is highly sought after and originates exclusively from the region.

The clean mountain air and temperate environment of the Coastal Rainforest provides natural, healthy alternatives to working out in gyms. This beautiful area, with its lush fertile valley bottoms is also home to some of the largest Grizzly Bears and Mountain goats in the world. This unique rainforest habitat and eco-system produces a strain of flora and fauna that flourishes and has evolved to be among some of the largest plant and animal specimens in the world. The natural habitat coupled with the magnificent scenery offer unique World Class wildlife viewing oportunities second to none.

Bella Coola Fisherman

On a clear day your flight over the rugged Coast Range is unbelievably breathtaking. As you climb out of Vancouver on the pressurized twin engine Beech 99 you experience a close up view of Mt. Waddington's awesome glaciers and the Monarch Icefields. Mt. Waddington is the highest peak on the Coast Range at over 13,000 feet. A short one hour scenic flight from the south terminal airport in Vancouver, BC puts you on location.

Bella Coola is in the heart of the Central Coast and is a natural port providing an access and departure point to 10,000 km's of coastline, pristine beaches and supernatural scenery. This remote area has always been recognized for its friendly people ever since the first European explorers arrived. Sir Alexander Mackenzie and Captain George Vancouver both explored this vast region in 1793 and were quite taken with the natural awesome beauty describing the area as extremely grand in their historical Journals. 

Wild Blue Violet

Mount Stupendous, Mount Nusatsum, Mount Defiance and Thunder Mountain are just some of the peaks and glaciers viewed from the valley floor. It has only been just over 200 years since the first whiteman set foot in this wilderness region of the Pacific Northwest. Little has changed since those days and we invite you to come and share the experiences and the beauty of the area as we provide you with an all inclusive Health and Fitness tour of BC's best kept secret.

Bella Coola Grizzly Tours has a mapped network of unlimited trails originating from our resort in the Bella Coola Valley. We guide you through ancient towering old growth Douglas Fir and Red and Yellow Cedar stands to view thousands of spawning Pacific Salmon. The Pacific Salmon is the lifeline for bears and eagles as they make their way upriver to reproduce. 

Alpine Back Packing

Witness the huge Coastal Grizzlies and sows with cubs fishing in these pristine rivers as they fatten up for the long Winter. The flora and fauna in this coastal rainforest hinges on tropical and is truly a sight to behold. Take an invigorating hike above treeline into the crystal clear lakes and Alpine Meadows. Here you can experience the unforgettable views of the magnificent Ocean Fjords.

Some of the most breathtaking scenery in North America is here for you to experience in this beautiful valley. We invite you to come and share it with us.

Itinerary

One for the ladies

Location

Bella Coola Valley
Central Coast, British Columbia, Canada

Nice Prawn

Tours include:

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  
• Enjoy excellent home cooked meals
  (gourmet quality)
  
• Fresh barbequed wild salmon
  
• Homegrown garden vegetables
  
• Free run chicken eggs
  
• Smoked salmon (hot and cold)
  
• Garden fresh, tossed and Caesars Salads
  
• Local jams, jellies and honey
  
• Beverages and snacks on the trail.

• Bella Coola Wilderness Adventures
  
• In the heart of the valley
  
• Scenic Norwegian Heritage site
  
• Very comfortable, clean country accommodations
  
• Awesome 360 degree panoramic mountain view
  
• A short 5 minute walk to the Bella Coola River
• Large groups can be easily accommodated.

Looking West

Transportation

• Pickup and drop off at airport
  
• Provided by licenced Guides for duration of Tour
  
• Touring Vehicles - 4 x 4 Crewcab Pickups
  
• Seating 5 Guests and one Guide/Driver very comfortably, per vehicle

• Year round activities Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter
  
• Breathtaking World Class scenery
  
• World Class Grizzly Bear and wildlife viewing
  
• Naturally soothing mineral waters of our local hotsprings. (3 hotsprings, optional Heli-Flyout)

• Kainet River

  Heli-angling
  
• Nautical Fjord tours (M.V. Silver Grizzly)
  
• Glacial Facial Mudpacks from the local Mineral Springs (big medicine)
  
• Beachcombing on sandy, remote, outer West Coast Beaches (optional Heli-Fly out )
  
• Bella Coola Rodeo (Canada Day weekend)
  
• Fresh seafood from local glacial waters
  
• Smokehouse tours (air dried, alder hot and cold smoked Salmon: Kings, Silvers, Trout.)
  
• Fall Fair (local crafts)
  
• Hike the famous Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail to the Pacific Ocean (350 kilometers)
  
• Unlimited trails (Bella Coola Valley has a drier climate than the outer coast)
  
• Summer Tubing down the Atnarko River
  
• Kayaking and Canoeing (Bella Coola River Estuary)
  
• River Rafting (Bella Coola River)
  
• Unlimited fly fishing. Pristine mountain streams and lakes (wilderness fishing)
  
• Heli-Hiking (optional Fly-Out )
  
• Snowshoeing excursions
  
• Native culture (Silver and Gold, handcrafted Jewelry)
  
• Gift shops and Souvenirs (local native artists)
  

• Bella Coola is world renowned for its natural beauty, clean air and wonderful hiking experiences and opportunities. Hiking and wildlife viewing is the keystone of our business and we are fortunate to be centrally located allowing easy access to the many trailheads.

• Join us for one of our guided, all inclusive outdoor adventures. Let us take you hiking and backpacking, camping and fishing, wildlife viewing and 4x4 touring into the remote valleys and stupendous mountains of the Bella Coola valley.

• Our guided hiking tours range from very easy for seniors and Families on nicely groomed trails to vertical rock climbing for the aggressive. The Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail is also a challenging trail to explore.
  

• Elderly people are encouraged to get out and enjoy the surroundings and see the local Flora and Fauna with our Guides. Spawning salmon and wildlife is quite easily viewed from the trails or simply from the comforts of our 4x4 Touring Vehicles. You do not have to be a Grizzly Bear or a Mountain Goat to see one.
  

• Blue Jay Lake has five overnight campsites and two lakeside picnic areas with good Trout fishing. Guided hiking to an awesome viewpoint of Panoramic scenery overlooking the Fjords of the Coast mountain Ranges.
  

• Guided tours up to the ancient Thorsen Creek Petroglyphs Only a short hike in to view an excellent display of historical Rock Carvings, estimated to be over ten thousand years old.
  

• Guided River Rafting & Wildlife Viewing on the Bella Coola is a highlight and we provide a day drift down the Bella Coola river in seaworthy Whitewater Rubber Rafts. Your Guide will pull into a sandy beach and build a campfire for a hearty lunch as you relax and take in the sights on the River bank. You drift quietly downriver viewing Bald eagles, Spawning Salmon and Bears fishing.
  

• Solitude

  Guided Fresh Water Angling on the Atnarko and Bella Coola Rivers from Drift Boats. Fly Fishing. Kings ( up to 50 pounds ) Silvers ( up to 20 pounds ) Rainbow Trout, Dolly Varden.
  

• Guided hiking and Grizzly Bear viewing on the Salmon Spawning beds of the Atnarko River in South Tweedsmuir Park. Flora and Fauna tours. Mule deer sightings. View Eagles and Grizzly Bears fishing hard to fatten up for the long Winter.
  

• Saloompt Interpretive Trail is an outing designed for the whole families enjoyment and education. The flat gravel trail provides easy accessibility and is only one km long. A visitors map provides information on the complete forest eco-system and question and answer plaques are located along the trail. The differences between new and old growth forest are also seen on this walk.
  

• Big Spring

  Tweedsmuir Park offers hiking and canoeing into the Turner Lake Chain and the Spectacular Hunlen Falls. Our guide will accompany you as far as you would like to travel into the Park.
  

• From Stillwater Lake the trail climbs 600 metres in 78 switchbacks. A campground is located at the North end of Turner lake. It takes about 10-12 hours to reach Turner lake from the Trailhead at highway 20. From the vicinity of Hunlen Falls a 12 km trail may be followed to Ptarmigan Lake, a splendid Alpine area.
  

• Hunlen Falls at the North end of Turner Lake, is a major attraction, plunging some 260 meters and disappearing in a cloud of spray before entering the Atnarko River. Outdoor recreation opportunities are almost unlimited in this area. Persons not prepared to be completely self-sufficient or who do not wish to employ a professional Guide should not contemplate a visit.
  

• Guided Tours out Nusatsum River valley to view huge Hanging Glaciers at Purgatory peak and Snowside Mountains.
  

• Odegaard Falls is also located up the Nusatsum Valley. The main features of this site is the outstanding views of Odegaard Falls, and a short 600 foot trail down to where Odegaard creek joins Nusatsum River.
  

• Hammer Lake/Ape Lake trail is located about 20 miles up the Nusatsum Valley. Ape Lake is about a 20 km hike and there is a great viewpoint at 6km.Views of the surrounding Peaks, Forest, Alpine meadows, lakes, wildlife and extensive ice fields are memorable.
  

• Guided hiking up Burnt Bridge climbs from the Mackenzie Heritage Trailhead to a view point overlooking the Bella Coola Valley. A two hour loop may be walked by continuing up to the burnt Bridge Creek Crossing and then downstream to Highway 20.
  

• Snootli River Fish Hatchery offers an interpretive guided tour the whole Family can enjoy through this local fish hatchery. See the excellent work they do to raise salmon and replenish fish stocks in the area. Snootli Creek Hatchery brood species presently include Chum, Sockeye, Chinook and Coho Salmon as well as Rainbow Trout.
  

• Kettle Pond - Located in Tweedsmuir Park on Highway 20 (across from Big Rock) is about a 15 minute walk to the Spring fed pond stocked with Cutthroat trout. Five minutes further is Tweedsmuir Bog, with its fascinating insect and plant life, including Sundews
  (an insect eating plant).
  

• Lost Lake is one of the most accessible trails near the communities of Hagensborg and Bella Coola. It's a South facing trail that winds up the Southern toe of Saloompt Mountain, up moderately steep slopes, through an old growth forest, ending up at a small 1 acre Lake. The hike is about 1 mile long, taking an average of 40 minutes to complete one way. Facilities include picnic sites and 3 overnight camping sites.
  

• Old Grizzly Trail

  We offer Guided Kayaking and Canoeing from the boat launch site at the Government Wharf. Our Guide will travel with you to ensure your safety while you enjoy paddling around the Estuary in our Kayaks and Canoes. Explore the tidal zone of the flats and the mouth of the Bella Coola River. The early morning is the best time when wildlife is active and the wind is calm.
  

• Capoose Summer Trail takes you up from Canoe Crossing and you travel through some nice stands of Douglas Fir as you gain elevation. From this trail you can link into the Mackenzie Trail and come down at Burnt Bridge.
  

• Bella Coola Museum and Archives is located on Highway 20 in the village of Bella Coola, in a building consisting of two log houses built in 1898 and 1892 by white settlers. Your tour guide shares a wealth of knowledge with you on the history of the Bella Coola Valley. The museum is open to the public during the Summer months.
  

• Sons of Norway Heritage House is a hand hewn log house and was built around the turn of the century by Andrew Svisdahl, one of the Norwegian settlers in Bella Coola. This house is set up and furnished as a typical Norwegian home of the early 1900's.This project shows life as it was and saves at least one of the original settlers homes.

Fly Fisherman

How to Get Here
Drive in

Head West from Williams Lake BC on Highway 20 and let your adventure begin. Cruise across the Chilcotin Plateau for about three hours taking in the lovely scenery. Soon you will see the rugged, snow-capped peaks of the Coast range a distance to the West. Just keep heading for them on Highway 20.

Bella Coola's famous Hill is the point where Highway 20 crests the Coast Range and begins its descent into the Bella Coola Valley. At Heckman Pass, 1524 m (5000 + feet ) you begin the two - part descent, the first 5.5 km's leads you down to the Young Creek Bridge. This is followed by a climb back up to the start of the Hill. This consists of 3 km of wide fairly steep road. The last 6km, with grades of up to 18 %, is marked narrow, single lane in places. There are two switch-backs, giving spectacular views. Take your time coming down and keep your vehicle in low gear. Try not to use your brakes too much. If they heat up you will have to pullover to let your brakes cool.

Professional Guides and Naturalists

Hollow Cedar Tree

 Our local Guides and Naturalists provide the best knowledge of the fish and wildlife and history of the area. For your safety and protection our Wilderness Guides are always armed with at least Bear Spray to ensure your well-being. You will find our staff to be very good camp cooks, courteous and very competent in the field. Licenced by the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection and Proud Members of the Guide Outfitters Association of B.C.

Wildlife Caution

     All wild animals are potentially dangerous and may be encountered at any time on any of our trips. Our guides are always close and with you in the field. Be careful to keep a lookout and move slowly when near wildlife. Bears are particularly unpredictable and we make a point of keeping our distance so they do not feel threatened. Your Guide will explain to you on your arrival how to avoid any potential conflicts. You will be required to sign a waiver of liability when you book a trip.

Prices
Base Rate
Canadian Funds
Please Inquire for Prices

Weekender
4days / 3nights
Friday noon - Saturday - Sunday - Monday - noon

Weekdays
5days / 4nights
Monday noon - Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday - Friday - noon

• Single Day Tours available as well.
• Inquire about our Family Group rates
  
• A 50% non-refundable deposit is required within 14 days of your initial reservation Request
  
• Balance is due 30 days prior to your arrival
  
• Prices do not include Gratuities (5-15%)
• Prices do not include GST (Goods and services tax)
  
• Licenced and Insured
  
• Prices do not include flights in or out of Bella Coola
  
• Prices do not include exclusive charter Helicopter or Floatplane flyouts from Bella Coola
  
• Exclusive Helicopter and Floatplane Charters are readily available to outpost camps.
  
• Custom Charter Flightsee's to Monarch Icefield's and Hunlen Falls
  
• Reservations and payment for aircraft can be made at time of booking

Airlines Serving Bella Coola
Scheduled and charter flights

Hot Springs

Pacific Coastal Airlines
provides daily scheduled flights from Vancouver B.C. to Bella Coola
Pacific Coastal Airlines @ 604-273-8666 for reservations and schedules
Web: www.pacific-coastal.com

West Coast Helicopters @ 250-982-2181
Bella Coola Base
A-Star Helicopter
Web: www.island.net/~wcheli

 

• Bella Coola Airport has a 4200 foot Paved runway suitable for small private jets. V.F.R
  
• Port Hardy, North end of Vancouver Island has a 5000 foot paved runway
  
• Commercial Jets land at Port Hardy Airport. ILS Facilities
  
• Fuel available Port Hardy and Bella Coola
  
• Jet A, 100 low lead.
  
• Aircraft storage facilities
  

• Given that most of our Wilderness Tours have walking and hiking involved, you should bring a good comfortable pair of quality hiking boots ( that are broken in ) with good ankle support.
  
• Plenty of pairs of extra socks and underwear.
  
• Comfortable, warm, layered hiking clothes are appropriate.
  
• Quality set of Raingear is necessary in case it looks like rain
  
• Rubber Boots for Rafters and Kayakers
  
• Camera and /or video camera with lots of film and batteries.
• Lightweight sleeping bag for any overnight trips you may anticipate.
  
• Daypack to keep your lunch and personal gear in.
• Waterbottle.
  
• Depending on the time of year, bug repellant, sunscreen, sunglasses.
  
• Light pair of leather gloves are good on the trail to prevent abrasions.
• Your own personal fishing rod and gear, if you wish to fish.
  
• Lightweight, good quality set of binoculars for viewing
• Bear Spray, small Jacknife, small flashlight, toilet paper
  
• Personal toiletries

Bella Coola Grizzly Tours Inc.
Box 336, Bella Coola, British Columbia,
Canada, V0T 1C0
Phone: (250) 982-0098
Fax: (250) 982-0097

Toll Free: 1 866-946-0640
Email us: info@bcgrizzlytours.com